Remote location monitoring

ABSTRACT

A remote location monitoring system, for example, a home monitoring or weather monitoring system may include one or more sensors and/or receivers at a remote location such as a residence or business to be monitored. The sensors and receivers may communicate with a central server via a gateway device, and may be controlled by users locally or remotely via the server. Users may register to receive remote notifications of weather events and other home monitoring events. Users may also access remotely sensors and receivers to configure alerts, notifications, and automatic responses for the devices and integrated appliances at the remote location.

RELATED APPLICATION INFORMATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No.12/057,761, entitled “Display Station,” filed on Mar. 28, 2008, whichclaims priority to U.S. Provisional Application 60/982,137, entitled“Method of Transmitting, Receiving and Forwarding Data in a Low PowerNetwork System,” to Allan McCormick and Rolf Haupt, filed on Oct. 23,2007, U.S. Provisional Application 60/982,096, entitled “Method ofTransmitting, Receiving and Displaying/Playing Data such as InternetRadio Time, and Music on a Network System,” to Allan McCormick and RolfHaupt, filed on Oct. 23, 2007, U.S. Provisional Application 60/981,862,entitled “Method and Apparatus of Transmitting, Receiving, Displayingand Playing Weather Data,” to Allan McCormick and Rolf Haupt, filed onOct. 23, 2007, and U.S. Provisional Application 61/019,299, entitled“Method and Apparatus of Transmitting, Receiving, Displaying and PlayingWeather Data,” to Rolf Haupt and Allan McCormick, filed on Jan. 7, 2008,all of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Aspects of the disclosure relate to remote location monitoring, forexample, home monitoring and weather monitoring. More specifically,aspects of the invention relate to receiving and processingcommunications from detection devices and sensors at remote locations inorder to inform users of the conditions and events occurring at theremote locations.

BACKGROUND

A home weather station with an exterior sensor may include externalmeasurement mechanisms for the measuring or recording weather data inthe exterior ambient area of a building. By means of a transmissionmechanism which is combined with a measurement mechanism, the weatherdata is transmitted into the building and received by an internalreceiving mechanism. The weather data transmission uses a radio signalin an appropriate data format for the receiving mechanism, which is anelement of the home weather station located inside the building. Theweather station may comprise a display mechanism combined with thereceiving mechanism for the optical reproduction and display of theweather data within the building.

For example, a known weather station from the company Reinhardt Systemsand Messelectronic GmbH, Bergstr. 33, 86911 Diessen-Obermiihlhausen,Germany, has the product name “MWS 5 W”. The unit measures temperature,relative humidity, barometric air pressure, wind speed and winddirection and transfers this data as serial ASCII-data to a connectedLaptop or PC or stores the data internally in a data logger memory. Theweather station is mounted on a 1″ water pipe or on a tripod. With theoptional GPS-module, the time axis data in the data logger can besynchronized to the exact time, height, and geographical position. Thememory capacity is 12 days if the data is recorded in 10 minutesintervals. Another system, described in DE 198 01 688 A1, includes aradio signal converter that receives a timing signal from a timingsignal sender and sends an appropriate signal at another frequency to atimer which is located within a closed building. The frequency isselected such that this signal as opposed to the original timing signalcan penetrate the building so that the timer can always be synchronized.Such an arrangement has multiple individual components. However, such asystem would not function properly in the many places on the planetwhere there is no receiving for a timing signal that can be receivedoutside a building. Furthermore, when a timing signal can be received, adevice would be required that can be adjusted to individual specificfeatures of the timing signal in a specific momentary location area.

SUMMARY

The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basicunderstanding of some aspects of the invention. The summary is not anextensive overview of the invention. It is neither intended to identifykey or critical elements of the invention nor to delineate the scope ofthe invention. The following summary merely presents some concepts ofthe invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the descriptionbelow.

In one aspect of the invention, methods, systems, and devices areprovided for remote location monitoring, including detecting andtransmitting detection data from one or more detection devices at one ormore remote locations to a server via a computer network. The detectiondata may correspond to detection readings from the various detectordevices, for example, temperature sensors, wind sensors, humiditysensors, pressure sensors, rain sensors, motion sensors, alarm sensors,and other weather and home monitoring sensors. After receiving thedetection data, the server may identify a detector type associated withthe data and retrieve a set of detection parameters for notifying usersof the data detected at the remote locations. Users may register toreceive notifications (e.g., pages, text messages, emails) upondetection of certain conditions (e.g., weather conditions, alarmconditions), at remote locations. For example, a user may register toreceive a notification by email every time the temperature sensor inthat user's back yard drops below a specified temperature (e.g., 20°F.). As another example, a user may request a text message or phone callto the user's work phone or text message to the user's mobile phone whena burglar alarm or smoke detector sounds in the user's home.

According to an additional aspect, the server may be configured todisplay detection data from multiple different detectors at differentremote locations on a single web site interface. For example, allweather updates (e.g., temperature, wind, rain, humidity) may be loggedand displayed as overlays on a digital map, presenting users with maydifferent data points to allow for more detailed views and predictionsof the coming weather conditions. According to yet another aspect, usersmay select individual readings or data points on such a map to view fordetailed information about the location, review previous readings, andsend messages to the registered user(s) associated with the location.

According to another aspect, remote location sensors and detectordevices may relate to home monitoring, such as detectors for smokedetectors, fire alarms, burglar alarms, power consumption monitors,motion detectors, standing water monitors, and other home monitoringdetection devices. In certain embodiments, an audible analog alarmsignal may be detected by an audio detector at a remote location. Theanalog alarm signal may be converted to a digital signal and compared toone or more predetermined digital alarm pattern signals. Upondetermining that the audible signal corresponds to known alarm signal(e.g., a smoke alarm signal), a notification may be transmitted to auser registered to receive notifications for that location.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will nowbe made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn toscale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a computing device and network,in accordance with aspects of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an illustrative detector system including one or more sensors,in accordance with aspects of the present invention;

FIGS. 3 a-3 c show illustrative receiver systems including userinterface buttons and display screens, in accordance with aspects of thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 shows an illustrative remote location including receivers andsensors integrated into various appliances, in accordance with aspectsof the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram showing illustrative steps for providing analarm indication based on a detection of an audible alarm at a remotelocation, in accordance with aspects of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram showing illustrative steps for notifying usersbased on a detection reading at a remote location, in accordance withaspects of the present invention;

FIGS. 7-9 are images depicting illustrative user interfaces based onunderlying mapping software and features, and data based on thegeographic region selected and/or a selected subscriber, in accordancewith aspects of the present invention;

FIGS. 10-12 are images showing illustrative user interfaces provided bya server for viewing, configuring, and controlling devices at a remotelocation, in accordance with aspects of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is an illustrative appliance configurable to be controlled by areceiver via a wireless module, in accordance with aspects of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 14 is an illustrative smoke detector detector device configurableto provide an alarm indication based on a detection of an audible alarmat a remote location, in accordance with aspects of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description of the various embodiments, reference ismade to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and inwhich is shown by way of illustration various embodiments in which theinvention may be practiced. It is to be understood that otherembodiments may be utilized and structural and functional modificationsmay be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the presentinvention.

As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art upon reading thefollowing disclosure, various aspects described herein may be embodiedas a method, a data processing system, or a computer program product.Accordingly, those aspects may take the form of an entirely hardwareembodiment, an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment combiningsoftware and hardware aspects. Furthermore, such aspects may take theform of a computer program product stored by one or morecomputer-readable storage media having computer-readable program code,or instructions, embodied in or on the storage media. Any suitablecomputer readable storage media may be utilized, including hard disks,CD-ROMs, optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, and/or anycombination thereof. In addition, various signals representing data orevents as described herein may be transferred between a source and adestination in the form of electromagnetic waves traveling throughsignal-conducting media such as metal wires, optical fibers, and/orwireless transmission media (e.g., air and/or space).

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a generic computing device 101(e.g., a computer server) that may be used according to an illustrativeembodiment of the invention. The computer server 101 may have aprocessor 103 for controlling overall operation of the server and itsassociated components, including RAM 105, ROM 107, input/output module109, and memory 115.

I/O 109 may include a microphone, keypad, touch screen, and/or stylusthrough which a user of device 101 may provide input, and may alsoinclude one or more of a speaker for providing audio output and a videodisplay device for providing textual, audiovisual and/or graphicaloutput. Software may be stored within memory 115 and/or storage toprovide instructions to processor 103 for enabling server 101 to performvarious functions. For example, memory 115 may store software used bythe server 101, such as an operating system 117, application programs119, and an associated database 121. Alternatively, some or all ofserver 101 computer executable instructions may be embodied in hardwareor firmware (not shown). As described in detail below, the database 121may provide centralized storage of account information and accountholder information for the entire business, allowing interoperabilitybetween different elements of the business residing at differentphysical locations.

According to certain aspects, the server 101 may operate in a networkedenvironment supporting connections to one or more remote devices, suchas gateway device 141, computer terminal 161, and gateway/computercombination 151. Gateway 141 is an illustrative home based networkinterface that may be used as an alternative device (rather than home ormobile computing devices) to communicate with the server 101 from remotelocations. The gateway 141, computer 161, or combination terminal 151may be coupled to a plurality of detecting devices and/or receivingdevices via a suitable interface. For instance, the illustrative gatewaydevice 141 may be capable of communicating with a large number ofwireless devices (up to 120 in certain examples) in a weather stationnetwork system or home monitoring network system, at great distancesdesigned to encompass an entire house and yard of a residence or abusiness environment (e.g., up to 300 feet in certain embodiments). Thegateway 141 in this example may be connected to an Internet router via aLAN cable, and may receive electrical power via a supplied AC poweradaptor. The gateway 141 may have a power consumption of just over 1watt and may be designed to conform to all governmental and other energysaving requirements of home and office equipment. Thus, in certainexamples, by using a gateway device 141 a remote location (e.g., home)may be equipped for remote location monitoring, and may join a remotelocation monitoring network (e.g., weather station monitoring network)without needing a home computer. In other examples, terminals 151-161including computing devices may be used to communicate remote locationmonitoring data to and from the server 101. Terminals 151 and 161 may bepersonal computers or servers that include many or all of the elementsdescribed above relative to the server 101.

As described below, in certain embodiments a gateway 141 or otherterminal 151-161 communicates wirelessly with at least one indoor sensor200 (e.g., relating to home monitoring) or outdoor sensor 200 (e.g.,relating to weather monitoring), and one or more receiver devices 300 todisplay data and/or control integrated appliances. The gateway 141 orterminal 151-161 may receive information from a network router that isconnected via high-speed Internet to the Weather Direct servers which isconnected to one or more Internet sites including a centralized server(see, e.g., www.LaCrossetechnology.com, www.MyDataDirect.com, orwww.weatherdirect.com) to transmit weather forecast data, traffic,music/sounds, news information, and any similar information to thereceiver 300. The sensors 200, which may comprise of at least atemperature, humidity, and/or wind sensor, may also communicate to thereceiver 300 the ambient conditions outside the user's home.

The network connections depicted in FIG. 1 include a local area network(LAN) 125 and a wide area network (WAN) 129, but may also include othernetworks. When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 101 isconnected to the LAN 125 through a network interface or adapter 123.When used in a WAN networking environment, the server 101 may include amodem 127 or other means for establishing communications over the WAN129, such as the Internet 131. It will be appreciated that the networkconnections shown are exemplary and other means of establishing acommunications link between the computers may be used. The existence ofany of various well-known protocols such as TCP/IP, Ethernet, FTP, HTTPand the like is presumed, and the system can be operated in aclient-server configuration to permit a user to retrieve web pages froma web-based server. Any of various conventional web browsers can be usedto display and manipulate data on web pages.

Additionally, an application program 119 used by the server 101according to an illustrative embodiment of the invention may includecomputer executable instructions for invoking user functionality relatedto communication, such as email, short message service (SMS), and voiceinput and speech recognition applications.

In certain examples, the server 101 may communicate with one or moresensor devices 200 at remote locations (e.g., homes, businesses), forexample devices including a series of sensors disposed external to thehome for monitoring weather conditions. An illustrative example of anintegrated sensor device 200 (e.g., detector) is shown in FIG. 2. Sensor200 may be disposed external to a home, and may include one or moredifferent sensing devices 202, such as humidity sensors, wind speeddetectors, wind director detectors, static charge sensors, pressuredetectors, visible light detectors, rain gages/detectors, pollensensors, temperature gages, and other weather sensors. In otherexamples, the sensor 200 may be operative indoors at a remote location(e.g., home, business) and may relate to home monitoring. For example,as described in detail below, sensor 200 may comprise an audibledetector 202 for smoke detectors, fire alarms, and/or burglar alarms. Inother examples, the sensor 200 may comprise various other homemonitoring sensors 202, such as a motion detector, power consumptionmonitor, standing water monitor, and/or other home monitoring detectiondevices described herein.

The sensor device 200 may include a processor 204 to evaluate signalsand detection readings and/or a transmitter 206 to communicate itssensor readings to a computer or gateway device installed at the remotelocation. In certain examples, the sensor 200 may be removably attachedto a computer 161 or gateway device 141, and may be physically connectedto the computer 161 and/or gateway 141 (e.g., via a LAN network cable),or may be wirelessly connected (e.g., via radio network, Bluetooth, orother wireless network).

Sensor devices 200 may also be inter-connected to one or more receivers300 (described below in reference to FIG. 3) to allow users to locallyview the sensor readings and configure the sensors 200. For example,sensor devices may be disposed external to a home, but may transmit datato the server 101 via gateway 141, and may also transmit data locally toone or more receiver devices 300 inside the home. For instance, anintegrated sensor device 200 disposed external to the home may includevarious sensing devices such as humidity sensors, wind speed detectors,static charge sensors, pressure detectors, visible light detectors, raindetectors, temperature gauges, and other local weather sensingcomponents. The sensor device 200 may also be removably attached to thereceiver system 300 by the means of a snap member 330, wired to areceiver 300 (e.g., through the power system) and/or wirelesslyconnected, to allow a user at a receiver 300 to view readings from thesensor 200 and/or to configure the sensor 200 (e.g., power on or off,adjust sensor reading timing and schedules, set sensor detectionthresholds, etc.). As described below, when local configuration ofsensors 200 and viewing of sensor data is not available using localreceivers 300 (e.g., when a user is away from home), the server 101 maysupport additional techniques to provide sensor data to users and allowusers to configured sensors and receivers with integrated appliances inthe system.

Referring to FIGS. 3 a-3 c, illustrative embodiments of a receiver 300are shown. Briefly, receiver 300 is a device configured to communicatewith gateway 141 or other device, (e.g., terminals 151-161) fortransmitting and/or receiving data from the server 101 or other remotenetwork location. In addition to receiving information from the server101 via gateway 141, receiver devices 300 may also have the ability toreceive information from a multitude of information sources. Forexample, receiver devices 300 may also receive information regardingweather and other events via GPS, cellular towers, the Internet, and/orNOAA transmissions. For instance, a NOAA transmitter network utilizesabout 900 transmitters, each having a roughly a forty mile radius,covering the entire United States. Although these transmitters currentlydo not provide sufficient specificity for many practical applications,embodiments of the present invention may include encoding the data fromthese transmitters to transmit specific location information along withalerts to users within specific geographic regions such as certain zipcodes or zip plus four codes. As another example, when a receiver 300 islocated in a mobile environment, e.g., when traveling down a road and/orin a train, the receiver's transceiver may come in contact withdifferent cell towers. The receiver 300 may detect when it has left itshome area and may display alternate information (e.g., weather displaysfor the new locality). In certain embodiments, a receiver 300 may beprogrammed to display weather data and/or other information mostappropriate for its current position. For example, if the receiver 300has just entered a new cell location, it may display the weather for thearea between its home location and the new cell location. In otherembodiments, it may select an average weather for the entire celllocation.

Returning to the illustrative receivers 300 of FIGS. 3 a-3 c. In thisexample, receiver 300 includes various user inputs and a display screen332 which may be a touch screen. The receiver may be continuouslypowered or may be turned on by depression of a power button 322. Thereceiver may include a LED power indicator 324 and/or simply use thescreen backlighting as the power indicator. The receiver 300 may bevariously configured to include weather button 301, buttons 319 and 320to select weather data in Fahrenheit and Celsius, respectively,emergency light(s) 323, speaker button 313, microphone button 314, videobutton 315, reset button 316, and volume button 325, and/or othersuitable interface buttons. Various ports may be included to includeadditional modules such as GPS modules and/or other communication and/orsensor devices.

The receiver 300 may be implemented in a standalone configuration and/orcoupled to one or more other receivers 300. The receiver 300 mayalternatively be configured as low cost display station with the minimumcomponents for receiving and displaying information to a user.Alternatively, the receiver 300 may be a weather station, wall clockwith and/or without localized information such as weather and/or trafficinformation, bedside alarms with localized information such as weatherand/or traffic information, and/or temperature display with and/orwithout local wireless connected sensors.

In addition to the current system, a GPS module may be included in thereceiver 300. The GPS receiver may be permanently and/or detachablymounted to the receiver 300. Where the receiver 300 including a GPSmodule is a weather station, the device may automatically extractweather data based on the coordinates of the GPS system. Thesecoordinates may come from the GPS module or may be input by the usermanually. When the coordinates are derived from the GPS module, theweather station receiver 300 may translate the GPS coordinates to zipcodes and/or zip plus four codes to extract the correct weather relateddata. Alternatively, the weather data may be sent coded for GPScoordinates and the zip codes entered by the user may be translated toselect the corresponding GPS coordinates. In other embodiments, the GPSmodule may be located in a hand held unit by the user and/or in anexternal unit which is connected either wired or wirelessly to theweather station or weather receiver.

In certain embodiments, weather data and other information may betransmitted from a satellite to the receiver 300. The receiver 300 mayuse the same antenna as the GPS unit and/or alternatively may useanother antenna such as a satellite radio antenna. Where weather data istransmitted using a data feed of a satellite radio, it is preferred thatthe weather data be encoded with geographic data such as zip code and/orzip plus four code as discussed above. In embodiments where the GPSantenna or satellite antenna is utilized, the antenna may be utilized ina similar fashion as is currently employed for transmission ofconventional data. In this manner, weather data may be provided to anylocation in the world by virtue of an up link to a satellite, down linkto through the GPS/satellite radio interface. Similarly, customizedweather data may be provided via DVB broadcast to local receivers. Thelocal receivers may input zip codes and/or zip plus four codes andutilize these codes to filter incoming weather data. Accordingly,satellite receivers may contain one or more virtual channels depictingcurrent weather conditions for any number of user selectable zip codesbased on set-up data entered by the user at the time the satellitesystem is configured and/or installed in the user's home.

Additionally, both sensor devices 200 and receiving devices 300, may forexample, be variously configured and integrated into cell phones, GPSreceivers, alarm clocks, clock radios, wall clocks, PDAs (personaldigital assistants), walkmans, digital cameras, dictaphones, cars,airplane seats, iPods and other similar such devices. For devices thatdo not require the use of a computer for setup, adjustments and inputscan be made by remote control, manual inputs, configured using USBconnections, or other type data inputting system. The interfacecircuitry for each of the sensor and receiver devices in a home networkmay include a router and/or be coupled to a home gateway 141, hotspotrouter, or other terminal device. Where the circuitry is coupled to agateway wirelessly, it may be coupled using 802.11a-g, n, and/or a lowerpower interface circuitry such as 915 MHz ISM band transceiver. Ineither event, sensors 200 and/or receiver 300 may include an Ethernetcontroller, Wi-Fi receiver, or Bluetooth technology.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, receivers may be included in a variety ofdevices and appliances. Referring to FIG. 4, the home, business, orother enterprise 400 may include one or more transceivers 401. In atypical installation, only a single transceiver 401 is utilized forproper reception. In other embodiments where the home is extremely largeor has concrete infrastructure, more than one transceiver 401 may behelpful. Other receivers in the home such as a PDA 423, appliancesintegrated with receivers such as microwave 406, coffee maker 405,refrigerator 404, and/or other devices integrated with receivers such asalarm clock 422, lamp 406, alarm 408, wall clock 416, care informationcenter 417, outdoor sensor(s) 200, washer/dryer 410, water heater 411,bathroom heater (not shown), picture display 415, TV set 414, IR blaster(e.g., a remote) 421, thermostat 413, and/or clock radio 420 need onlyhave a short range, low power, receiver for receiving data. In thisembodiment, a single receiver 300 with a transceiver device 401 may beutilized to distribute data to every device in the home 400 in a verylow cost information distribution network.

Certain items in the house 400 may also be interconnected usingtransceivers. For example, the home security alarm and/or the bed sidealarm may be interconnected. In this manner, the home alarm may bedeactivated 30 minutes after the user awakes so that it is not triggeredby the user venturing outside to read his morning paper. Further, a userwho set an alarm to wake up at 6 a.m. is also able to have the alarmcommunicate with other devices in the house. For example, the user mayselectively turn down the heat at night by 10 degrees and turn the waterheater down by 15 degrees and shut down the lights and other suitableenergy saving mechanisms. In a similar fashion for a period of either 20minutes, 30 minutes or other user selectable time prior to the selectedalarm time, the alarm clock and/or transceiver 401 may signal otherapparatus in the house to, for example, turn on the coffee maker 405,turn up the heat in the water heater 411, turn on a bathroom heater,turn up the temperature in the house, and set other functions responsiveto the time the alarm is set to go off.

Having described various devices and components of certain illustrativesystems, FIGS. 5 and 6 relate to methods and other techniques forperforming remote location monitoring. Referring now to FIG. 5, a flowdiagram is shown describing illustrative steps for providing an alarmindication based on a detection of an alarm or other audible signal at aremote location.

In step 501, an audible signal is detected at a detection device 200(e.g., an audio sensing device) at a location such as a house orbusiness. In this example, a sensor 200 may be configured to record andevaluated each audible sound in its vicinity over a predetermineddecibel level. Thus, if the sensor 200 is operative at a residentiallocation, it may be exposed to sounds such as voices, doorbells, ringingphones, barking dogs, and noises from televisions, stereos, and otherappliances.

In step 502, the audible (analog) signal is converted into a digitalsignal within the sensor 200, and in step 503 the digital signal iscompared to one or more previously stored digital signals correspondingto alarm signals that may sound near the sensor 200. For example, thesensor 200 may be preprogrammed with one or more distinct digital audiopatterns corresponding to alarms from a smoke detector, fire alarm,burglar alarm, and other alarm systems active at the location of thesensor 200. For instance, the sensor 200 may automatically recognize(e.g., by frequency, pitch, volume, etc.) an alarm sound from a standardsmoke detector and thus need not be especially programmed by a homeowneror other user in order to identify an alarm signal. In other examples, asensor 200 may be programmed by a homeowner or other user to ‘learn’ andrespond to specific sounds within range of the sensor 200. For instance,if a monitored home has burglar alarm with a unique (or customized)sound, a programmable sensor 200 may be used to record and store thealarm sound during an initialization process so that the sound can berecognized during subsequent comparisons in step 503. Additionally,although this example describes standard and customized alarm signalsthat are stored at the sensor 200, it should be understood that thestandard and/or customized digital alarm patterns may be stored outsideof the sensor 200 in other examples. For instance, a standard library ofdigital alarm patterns may be stored within the gateway 141 or terminal151-161 at the same location, or remotely at the central server 101.

If the audio signal detected by the sensor 200 corresponds to an alarmsignal (e.g., smoke detector, fire alarm, burglar alarm) (step 503:Yes),then in step 504 an alarm indication is transmitted from the sensor 200via a computer network to the gateway 141 and/or additional network andsystem components. As described above, the sensor 200 may transmit alarmindications via gateway 141 (or other terminal 151-161) to a systemserver 101. In this example, the server 101 may be responsible fortransmitting notifications to users and/or updating resources (e.g.,event maps, system logs, status web pages), as described below inreference to FIG. 6. In other examples, a terminal (e.g., 151-161) atthe location of the sensor 200 may alternatively perform thesefunctions.

In this example, if the audio signal detected by the sensor 200 does notcorrespond to an alarm signal (step 503:No), then the sensor 200 willnot transmit an alarm indication to the gateway 141 (step 505). Thus, ifthe sound detected in step 501 was not an alarm (e.g., ringing phone,barking dog, television), then the sensor 200 would not transmit analarm indication. Of course, in other examples, the sensor 200 may beconfigured to provide indications based on other sounds besides alarms.For instance, the same sensor 200 or a different audio sensor 200 may beprogrammed with a home doorbell audio pattern, and may transmit adoorbell indication upon detection of the doorbell sound.

Although FIG. 5 relates to sound detection of an audible alarm signal,it should be understood that other examples may be implemented based onthe functionalities of various other types of sensors 200. For example,a water detector 200 on the basement floor at a house may be used toprovide notifications to a homeowner whenever the basement floods, usingsimilar steps to those described in FIG. 5 to provide the notifications.As another example, a power consumption monitor 200 may be used toprovide notifications to users when a home appliance or computing deviceis malfunctioning. Additional examples may relate to notifications basedon detected weather conditions. For example, a user may register toreceive notifications based on one or more weather conditions detectedby an external weather sensor 200 at their residence or other location.For instance, users may receive external temperature notifications(e.g., temperature reading above or below a threshold value), windnotifications (e.g., wind gust above a threshold value), and othernotifications based humidity, pressure, daylight, precipitation, andother weather conditions.

Referring to FIG. 6, a second flow diagram is shown describingillustrative steps for notifying one or more users based on an alarmindication or other detection reading from a sensor 200. In step 601, adetection reading is received from one or more sensors 200 via acomputer network at a computing device. In certain examples, the stepsof FIG. 6 may be performed by the server 101, or other computing devicethat receives data from one or more sensors 200 (e.g., gateway 141,terminals 151-161). As described above, a central server 101 may beconfigured to receive detection readings from a plurality of sensors 200operative at a plurality of different remote locations (e.g., viagateways 141 at different residential or business locations).

In step 602, the server 101 identifies the detection reading anddetermines a detector type and/or data type for the reading. Forexample, the received data may correspond to a temperature reading froman external weather sensor 200 at a residential location. In thisexample, data transmission from the gateway 141 may include senderand/or header information allowing the server 101 to identify thegateway 141, the sensor 200, and the type of data being transmitted.

In step 603, the server 101 may retrieve a set of detection parametersbased on the location, detector type and/or data type informationidentified in step 602, and in step 604 a determination is made whetheror not to notify users of the received detection reading. As an example,a user may register to receive a notification every time a temperaturereading below freezing is recorded at an external temperature sensor 200outside the user's home. In this example, the notification parametersmay comprise a user identifier, a sensor identifier, and a temperaturerange (e.g., <32° F.), and the parameters may be stored at the server101 to be retrieved whenever a new temperature reading is received fromthe user's external weather sensor. As another example, a user mayregister to receive a notification every time a new temperature readingis received from the user's external sensor 200, regardless of thetemperature of the readings. Thus, less parameters (or even noparameters) might be stored at server 101 in certain notificationexamples (e.g., requesting a notification every reading, every otherreading, every 5 minutes, etc. from a designated sensor 200).

Although the above examples relate to notifications based on temperaturereadings at an external weather sensor 200, it should be understood thatnotifications may be based on other types of sensors 200 (e.g., wind,light, pressure, humidity, precipitation, audio, motion, alarm, powerconsumption, and other home monitoring and/or weather sensors). Itshould also be understood that the numbers, types, and values of theparameters stored at server 101 for the different sensors 200 may dependon the type of sensor 200 and the sensor data being received. Forinstance, a server 101 may be configured to notify a homeowner everytime an audio alarm sensor (e.g., a smoke detector as discussed above inFIG. 5) transmits an alarm indication. However, the homeowner might onlyrequest power consumption notifications when several consecutive powerconsumption readings for an appliance with an integrated receiver 300indicate that the appliance is malfunctioning. Additionally, asdescribed below in reference to step 605, the notification parametersretrieved in step 603 may relate to the type of notification the userhas requested (e.g., call, email, page, text message) may include one ormore notification recipient addresses.

In step 604, the server 101 compares the previously stored notificationsparameters to the received data to determine if a notification should besent. Thus, in the example mentioned above, if the user has registeredfor below freezing weather updates and a temperature reading of 38° F.is received from the user's external weather sensor 200 (604:No), then anotification should not be provided based on that reading. However, if asubsequent reading of 30° F. is received from the user's externalweather sensor 200 (604:Yes), then a notification should be provided inaccordance with the user's notification registration in step 605.

In step 605, one or more notifications are provided in accordance withthe user's notification registrations. As discussed above, in certainexamples, users may register to receive a combination of the telephonecall notifications, email notifications, pager notifications, textmessage notifications, and/or instant message notifications based ondetection readings received from sensors 200 associated with the user'saccounts. For example, a user may register to receive an emailnotification every time an external wind sensor 200 at the user's housereports a wind gust of greater than 20 MPH. However, the same user mayregister to receive a work phone call, a phone call to a secondary phone(e.g., a spouses phone), a text message to a mobile phone, and emailnotifications whenever an alarm signal is indicated at the user's homefrom an alarm sensor 200 (e.g., a smoke detector detector), or apossible intrusion is indicated by a motion sensor 200. Notificationsmay also be based on combinations of readings from one or more sensors200 (e.g., notifications for wind gusts sustained over a specifiedamount of time, notifications for wind gusts with concurrent rainreadings, notifications for cold temperatures with concurrent powerfailure readings at a water heater or other appliance). Additionally,users may be permitted to register for notifications based on the sensorreadings of other users' sensors, for example, sensors installed byfriends, family members, neighbors, or from community sensors whichprovide public readings available to all system users with access to theserver 101. For example, a user might register for email notificationswhenever the temperature at the user's parent's house is greater than atemperature threshold (e.g., <95° F.). As another example, the user mayrequest weather alerts for severe weather (or normal weather) anywherewithin the user's vicinity (neighborhood, zip code, distance radius,etc.).

In addition to notifications sent directly to users, notifications cantake the form of updates to a resource accessible to one or more users.For example, in addition to (or instead of) direct weathernotifications, a user may register to be part of a weather community inwhich readings from the user's weather sensor 200 are added to apublicly available web site, such as community weather map or weatherevent chart.

In the example of FIGS. 7-9, a web page provided by server 101 of theweather system displays a view of a residential area near Denver, Colo.In this example, weather system users in this region may register tojoin their local weather community. For users that join the weathercommunity, data from their external weather sensors 200 mayautomatically be integrated into a community web page 700 which isaccessible to other users in the community. The community web page 700may comprise a weather map and/or weather event table including realtime updates of the weather in the region. In this example, after a useraccesses the web site and selects the displayed region 700, a datasummary box 710 will appear in one corner of the map to show acompilation of subscriber and weather data for the visible area. Asshown in FIG. 7, the system may automatically display the total numberof weather system subscribers and active (online) weather displaydevices in the selected region, along with the average temperature,humidity, wind, and/or other summary weather data. The data may becalculated automatically at the central server 101 using all of theactive weather stations in the selected region. The weather system mayalso leverage the different features of the underlying mapping software(e.g., Google Maps®, Microsoft Virtual Earth®). Thus, in this example,the user may be able to zoom-in or zoom-out, causing the data summarybox 710 to automatically refresh the displayed data to match the updatedgeographic region displayed on the screen. Similarly, the map featuremay permit online users to change to a zip code view, city view, countyview, etc., or any other view configuration supported by the underlyingmapping software. Additionally, weather data (e.g., satellite data) maybe received by the server and superimposed over the map requested by theuser.

Referring now to FIG. 8, the subscriber has used the map feature to zoominto a smaller geographic region, causing an automatic update in thesummary and compilation data shown in box 810. Additionally, in thisexample, the weather system central server has made a determination thatthe selected region is small enough to display an icon and number foreach subscriber in the area. In FIG. 9, the user has activated asubscriber information window 910 by selected (e.g., clicking) on theindividual subscriber icon/number “4” from FIG. 8. In this example, thesubscriber information window contains the subscriber name, device dataand weather data received from the subscriber's device, along withseveral links to allow the user to communicate with the selectedsubscriber and/or the subscriber's devices (e.g., view stations,configure stations, email, or send an instant message). Thus, if theclicks on the “Email” or “Chat” links, the weather system may initiatean email or instant messenger application with the selected subscriber'sinformation to allow the user to communicate with that subscriber. Incertain examples users may have the option to disable their own “Email”and/or “Chat” links so that their personal information (e.g., emailaddress or instant messaging identifier) is not accessible to othersubscribers. Additionally, in this example, after selecting the “ViewStations” link to see, the user may be presented a home device mapsimilar to the illustrative screen shown in FIG. 4. This link may alsobe used to retrieve data from any accessible weather display device(i.e., devices not permissioned by the owner subscriber as hidden, ormarked as private, etc.), or to configure/reprogram data one of theweather display devices (similarly, owners subscribers may setpermission on all or some of their devices to allow/disallow remoteconfiguration by third-parties).

According to additional aspects, sensors 200 and/or receivers 300 at aremote location may be controlled by commands from the server 101, basedon user interaction with the server user interface (e.g., a web site orother server application). For example, as discussed above, the server101 may provide a user interface to allow users to register (e.g., addor remove) sensors 200, view sensor readings and status, and to registerfor notifications by selecting one or more sensors 200 and designatingthe desired notification parameters. Using a similar system and set ofcomponents, users may interact with a server 101 user interface (e.g.,web site) to configure sensors 200, appliances with integrated receivers300, and other devices connected to the user's gateway 141 (or terminal151, 161, etc.). Thus, in addition to basic home monitoring functions,remote device/appliance control at a user's home or other remotelocation may be supported using a similar monitoring infrastructure. Asan example, a receiver unit 300 may be integrated into a home automationsystem so that the unit would, for example, close windows when rain isdetected by the external rain sensor 200, or when the receiver 300receives an indication from the server 101 that there is a highprobability of rain at the user's home location.

Certain examples provide for determining the geographic location of adevice (e.g., gateway 141 or terminal 161) using an IP address reverselookup table or similar reverse geographic location technology eitherimplemented locally at the server 101 or at the remote location of thedevice to determine the geographic location of the device and using thisinformation cross to correctly displayed sensor information receivedfrom the device on a map 900 or other user interface.

As mentioned above, according to certain aspects, users may controlremotely sensors 200, receivers 300, and other receiver-integratedappliances connected via gateway 141 or other system components in ahome monitoring system. For example, the server 101 may provide a userinterface (e.g., web page) to allow authenticated users to remotelyconfigure sensors 200 and control connected devices and other appliancesvia the Internet. Additionally, users may configure the server 101 tocontrol sensors 200 and devices/appliances with receivers 300automatically to take certain actions based on home monitoring alerts,weather conditions, and other information available to the server 101.For example, if the server 101 was alerted to a child abduction (e.g.,Amber alert) or a criminal escape in the vicinity of a user's home(e.g., via a news notification service), the server 101 may beconfigured to automatically close and lock the doors in the home, closethe windows and/or turn on an alarm system. As another example, inresponse to a tornado warning alert, the server 101 may be programmed toautomatically close storm shutters for all homes in the area of thealert. In other examples, a home monitoring system may have motiondetectors and sound detection sensors 200 that would alert the centralserver 101 to potential intrusions. In this example, after receiving anotification of a potential intrusion (wherein the sending of thenotification was based on the user preferences and configuration of theserver 101), the user may then be able to login to the server 101 toview additional information regarding the potential intrusion (e.g., animage taken from a motion activated camera 200, or a sound recorded byan audio sensor 200). Based on this information, the user may activateremotely certain devices within the home (e.g., door locks, windows,safes, other appliances) and/or may notify law enforcement or familymembers. Thus, in certain examples, the user interface of the server 101may support functionality for users to directly control sensors 200and/or appliances and device integrated with receivers 300 remotely(e.g., engaging door and window locks, turning appliances and alarmsystems on and off, etc.) within the user's home or business location.In other examples, the server 101 may be programmed to automaticallytake actions even without the explicit directions of a user. Forexample, upon identifying a potential intrusion at the house via amotion detector 200, the server 101 may transmit an instruction viagateway 141 to automatically close and lock the doors and windows in thehouse. The server 101 may then notify the user of the potentialintrusion and/or may alert law enforcement through an E911 system orPSTN system.

Referring now to FIG. 10, an illustrative screen shot is shown allowingan authenticated user to configure various sensors 200 and receiverappliance devices 300 at a remote location to be automaticallycontrolled by the server 101. In this example, the devices 200-300 atthe remote location may be controlled using an Internet Protocol (IP)via gateway 141. Therefore, the interface may be customized such thatdifferent manufacturers may design to the protocol. For example, byusing plug and play techniques, simply installing a new appliance (e.g.,a furnace, an alarm clock, a new car, a new refrigerator, a newtelevision, a new phone), the device connects with, for example, gateway141 and/or terminals 151-161, determines the home to which they wereinstalled, and registers with the users home automation control panel,e.g., www.mydatadirect.com or www.WeatherDirect.com. The goal of theunified interface for different appliances is to have a single unifiedstandard to simplify interconnectivity for the user. Where the differentconsumer electronics suppliers standardize on a single interface (e.g.,802.11 a-g, n) and a single protocol, e.g., PCMIA plug and play likeprotocol, then the consumer experience is substantially enhanced.Further, one manufacturer can sell many additional products to the samefamily over time by staging the cost of the acquisition. For example,the children can purchase their parents an alarm clock one holiday, anoutdoor sensor kit another holiday, a web cam for the grandchild'soutdoor play area another holiday, etc.

Referring now to FIG. 11, the setup and configuration data is downloadedfrom the device connected to the user's network. In this example, thedevice being configured may be an external temperature sensor 200 fordetecting and providing temperature data to the server 101. Thetemperature sensor 200 in this example may be configured to communicatewirelessly with the gateway device 141. In certain examples, atemperature sensor 200 may have a wireless range of approximately 300feet. The temperature sensor may also be battery powered, avoiding theneed to position the sensor next to an electrical outlet. In addition tothe temperature data, the sensor 200 may also be configured to monitorand transmit humidity data. The sensor 200 in this embodiment mayinclude an extendable probe (e.g., 6 feet in length) that can detect andcommunicate an additional temperature and/or humidity reading, forexample, from a swimming pool or spa, refrigerator, freezer, etc.Although the sensor 200 may be configured to detect and transmittemperature and other data immediately (i.e., in real time), it may alsobe configured to store history data for a period of time (e.g., days,weeks, or months) and transmit the stored data upon request, forexample, as a spreadsheet file compatible with Microsoft EXCEL® and/orother third-party software applications.

Referring now to FIG. 12, an additional display is shown of anillustrative user interface provided by the server 101. In this example,the user may configure his/her information screen to monitor variousdata from his/her network of devices. For example, at a glance, the usermay monitor a webcam and other data from his/her summer house such asinside/outside temperature, alarm status, furnace status, etc. Theadditional information may be variously configured to only appear oncethe picture is clicked on by the user, where the user hovers over thepicture with the mouse, and/or overlaid over the location informationsupplied by the webcam. Similarly, the view from the user's dock may bedisplayed with tide, wind speed and direction, as well as outsidetemperature. Further thumbnails may be displayed including such webcamsas the local airports (e.g., LaGuardia and Newark), traffic cams fromthe drive home, the user's living room, baby's room, and/or day carecenter, the alarm status of the home including a map of the variousrooms and associated alarm status and diagnostics.

Still referring to FIG. 12, the system may further be configured todownload and/or upload information from various devices and includevirtual images of the controls of those devices on a connected web page.For example, a user wishing to set his alarm clock to get up early foran important meeting may do so from work. By accessing the web page(e.g., www.mydatadirect.com) the user may be presented with a virtualimage of the alarm clock sitting next to his/her bed. The user may clickon various buttons and set the alarm for every day, and/or for only acertain day. The control command is then sent to the device using asuitable protocol, e.g., IP. The alarm clock may then respond with amessage (e.g., via e-mail, SMS, chat, or to the web pagewww.mydatadirect.com) confirming that it has received the new settingsand will adjust its settings accordingly. The alarm clock may be furtherprogrammed to notify other users (e.g., the husband and wife) where thealarm clock serves the needs of more than one person. In this manner,the spouse is notified when the alarm clock is changed. For example, thealarm clock may have multiple alarms one controlled by each spouse.Alarms may also be password protected, for example, so that one spousecannot change the settings of the other spouse without having thepassword. In other examples, the alarms of children cannot be turned offand/or altered without the password.

Referring now to FIG. 13, another example of home appliance control isshown in accordance with aspects of the disclosure. In this example, areceiver 300 may be integrated into and may control, via a separatewireless module 1304, a lawn sprinkler 1300 so that the sprinklers 1300is turned on and off in accordance to the commands of the server 101(via the gateway 141 or other terminal). Thus, as discussed above, auser may be able to remotely operate the sprinkler 1300 by logging intothe server 101, and the server 101 may be configured to automaticallyoperate the sprinkler 1300 in response to certain conditions (e.g.,sensor readings, news alerts). The separate wireless module 1304 mayinclude a battery operated valve that would control when the sprinkler1300 is allowed to operate. In this example, a home owner may be able tocontrol their lawn sprinkler 1300 remotely via the web site of theserver 101. For instance, a user away from home on a vacation may loginto the server 101 to turn off the sprinkler 1300 if the user discoversthat it has recently rained at the user's house. As another example, theserver 101 may be configured, using a similar technique to thenotification process, to turn off the sprinkler 1300 automatically(i.e., without explicit user instructions) when an external rain sensor200 at the user's house indicates that it has recently rained asufficient amount to water the lawn. In a similar example, rather thanturning the sprinkler 1300 off entirely, the server 101 may beconfigured to increase or decrease the watering time for the sprinkler1300 based on the recent precipitation measures at a sensor 200 orreceived from a weather source via the server 101.

As an alternative to a separate rain sensor 200, the sprinkler 1300 mayinclude its own rain gauge and be configured to be powered via a turbineand energy store included within the sprinkler module 1304 so that thepower would be generated based on the water flow through the turbine.This power would then be stored in a capacitor and used to open or closea valve to either turn off or turn on the water flow. The water flowwould be turned off or turn on based on information about the weatherreceived by the server 101. For example, if it was determined that therewas a high probability of rain within the next eight hours, thesprinkler 1300 would not be turned on at that time.

As another example, a power consumption sensor 200 may be installedbetween an appliance and the wall socket. This will enable a user tomonitor and view the energy requirements for all electrical appliancesin his/her home. This data can be uploaded to the user's informationwebsite (e.g., www.WeatherDirect.com) to track, monitor, or adjust thesettings of the respective appliances.

Referring now to FIG. 14, an example of a smoke detector detector device1400 is shown. As discussed above in reference to FIG. 5, smoke detectordetector 1400 may be configurable to provide an alarm indication basedon a detection of an audible alarm at a remote location. The device 1400in this example may be configured to respond to smoke detectors, firealarms, burglar alarms, and/or may be programmable/configurable so thatit can respond to custom alarm sounds or other noises occurring at theremote location.

In yet another example, based on the weather forecast received at theserver 101, a heater may be turned on when there is a high probabilitythat the low temperature would exceed a user's particular threshold sothat the heater is efficiently controlled. For example, when it iswarmer outside in the situation of a heat pump, so that the house couldbe warmed up prior to the temperature dropping. By integrating weatherprediction capabilities into a furnace's control system, it may bepossible to increase the SEER rating of the furnace beyond the levelsachieved today.

While illustrative systems and methods as described herein embodyingvarious aspects of the present invention are shown, it will beunderstood by those skilled in the art, that the invention is notlimited to these embodiments. Modifications may be made by those skilledin the art, particularly in light of the foregoing teachings. Forexample, each of the elements of the aforementioned embodiments may beutilized alone or in combination or sub-combination with elements of theother embodiments. It will also be appreciated and understood thatmodifications may be made without departing from the true spirit andscope of the present invention. The description is thus to be regardedas illustrative instead of restrictive on the present invention.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A server, comprising: a processorcontrolling at least some operations of the server; and memory storingcomputer executable instructions that, when executed by the processor,cause the server to perform a method comprising: receiving detectiondata via a computer network corresponding to a detection reading from adetector device at a remote location; identifying a detector typeassociated with the received detection data; retrieving detectionparameters based on the detector type and associated with the remotelocation; comparing the detection data to the retrieved detectionparameters; determining whether or not to notify one or more registeredusers associated with the remote location based on the comparison;identifying one or more notification addresses associated with theremote location; and transmitting a notification to each of the one ormore notification addresses, said notifications indicating the detectionreading from the detector device at the remote location.
 2. The serverof claim 1, wherein at least one of the notification addresses comprisesa source web page stored at the server and said transmitting comprisesupdating the source web page to reflect the detection reading from thedetector device at the remote location.
 3. The server of claim 2,wherein the detection reading corresponds to weather data from a weatherdetector at the remote location, and wherein the server is configured toreceive weather data from a plurality of weather detection devices at aplurality of geographically separate remote locations.
 4. The server ofclaim 3, wherein the source web page comprises a user interfacedisplaying weather data detection readings from each of the plurality ofremote locations.
 5. The server of claim 1, wherein the one or morenotification addresses comprises at least one of a phone number, a pagernumber, an email address, and an instant messaging address, and whereinsaid transmitting comprises at least one of a telephone call, a page, atext message, an email, and an instant message.
 6. The server of claim1, wherein the received detection data comprises at least one oftemperature data from a temperature sensor, wind data from a windsensor, humidity data from a humidity sensor, rain data from a rainsensor, motion data from a motion detector, electricity consumption datafrom a power sensor, and alarm data from an alarm detector.
 7. Theserver of claim 1, wherein the received detection data comprises datafrom an audio detector indicating that sounds from at least one of asmoke detector, fire alarm, or burglar alarm were detected at the remotelocation.
 8. The server of claim 1, wherein the method furthercomprises: starting a timer corresponding to the receipt of thedetection data; identifying a time duration associated with the detectordevice corresponding to the detection data; determining that the timerhas reached the time duration associated with the detector devicewithout receiving additional detection data corresponding to thedetector device; and transmitting a notification to one or morenotification addresses, said notification indicating that the detectordevice at the remote location has failed to report data in the timeduration.
 9. A method comprising: receiving detection data via acomputer network corresponding to a detection reading from a detectordevice at a remote location; identifying a detector type associated withthe received detection data; retrieving detection parameters based onthe detector type and associated with the remote location; comparing thedetection data to the retrieved detection parameters; determiningwhether or not to notify one or more registered users associated withthe remote location based on the comparison; identifying one or morenotification addresses associated with the remote location; andtransmitting a notification to each of the one or more notificationaddresses, said notifications indicating the detection reading from thedetector device at the remote location.
 10. The method of claim 9,wherein at least one of the notification addresses comprises a sourceweb page and said transmitting comprises updating the source web page toreflect the detection reading from the detector device at the remotelocation.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the detection readingcorresponds to weather data from a weather detector at the remotelocation, and wherein the method further comprises receiving weatherdata from a plurality of weather detection devices at a plurality ofgeographically separate remote locations.
 12. The method of claim 11,wherein the source web page comprises a user interface displayingweather data detection readings from each of the plurality of remotelocations.
 13. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or morenotification addresses comprises at least one of a phone number, a pagernumber, an email address, and an instant messaging address, and whereinsaid transmitting comprises at least one of a telephone call, a page, atext message, an email, and an instant message.
 14. The method of claim9, wherein the received detection data comprises at least one oftemperature data from a temperature sensor, wind data from a windsensor, humidity data from a humidity sensor, rain data from a rainsensor, motion data from a motion detector, electricity consumption datafrom a power sensor, and alarm data from an alarm detector.
 15. Themethod of claim 9, wherein the received detection data comprises datafrom an audio detector indicating that sounds from at least one of asmoke detector, fire alarm, or burglar alarm were detected at the remotelocation.
 16. The method of claim 9, further comprising: starting atimer corresponding to the receipt of the detection data; identifying atime duration associated with the detector device corresponding to thedetection data; determining that the timer has reached the time durationassociated with the detector device without receiving additionaldetection data corresponding to the detector device; and transmitting anotification to one or more notification addresses, said notificationindicating that the detector device at the remote location has failed toreport data in the time duration.